Town Hall Meeting to Address Racial Incident and U of A Response

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas administrators and student leaders will take part in a campus Town Hall meeting in response to a recent insensitive racial post made on social media by a student.

The meeting — One Choice, One Community, One Commitment — will be from 7- 9 p.m. Monday, March 12, in Hillside Auditorium, room 202. Everyone on campus is encouraged to attend.

The panel members will be:

• Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz
• Charles Robinson, vice chancellor for student affairs
• Yvette Murphy-Erby, vice provost for diversity and inclusion
• Leslie Yingling, director of the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education
• Andrew Counce, president of the Associated Student Government
• J’lynn Lowery, president of the National-Pan Hellenic Council

Brendan Cook, president of the Black Students Association will act as moderator.

“Many of us believe this situation  is something we cannot tolerate here on our campus,” said Cook, referring to the social media post of the student in black face makeup. “The question then is ‘what do we do now?’ The purpose of this town hall is to help resolve tension by establishing effective communication between students and the administration. Our goal is to strengthen the relationships between us as a Razorback family. This may also be an opportunity for students to voice their experiences on campus, experiences that many may be unfamiliar with.”

The town hall has been organized by members of the Black Students Association, Associated Student Government and National Pan-Hellenic Council. This group has  prepared some initial questions for the panelists to give administrators the  opportunity to explain how decisions are made related to student conduct. The panel will also answer questions from students, faculty and staff members in the audience.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.